Journalist Charles Watts has claimed that Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s potential absence from Everton’s trip to Arsenal could benefit the Gunners.
What’s going on with Calvert-Lewin?
The striker missed Everton’s loss to Aston Villa with injury, and is set to be sidelined again as Sean Dyche’s side travel to the Emirates on Wednesday night.
Everton inflicted Arsenal’s second league defeat of the season at Goodison Park earlier this month, as their physicality proved too much for Arsenal to handle, but with Neal Maupay set to replace the Englishman upfront, Arsenal may have an easier game this time.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Watts claimed that Calvert-Lewin’s absence will mean that Everton will lack an out-ball, as they will likely sit deep to stifle Arsenal again, and this will help Mikel Arteta’s side.
“It doesn’t look like Dominic Calvert Lewin is going to be fit for that Everton game and that could be a big thing, because he’s not going to give him that out-ball that we know Everton would look for, in a big physical striker, who can play with his back to goal, he’s not going to give them that,” he stated.
“I’d imagine Neal Maupay’s going to play, and it’d be interesting to see what treatment he gets from the Arsenal players because none of them are going to forget his involvement in recent games with them.”
How did Calvert-Lewin help beat Arsenal before?
Although Arsenal dominated the ball in their 1-0 defeat in the first fixture, they found themselves struggling as a result of Everton’s defensive approach, as well as Calvert-Lewin’s presence up front.
Whilst he did miss two big chances, he won six of his eight attempted aerial duels as per SofaScore, as well as completing two dribbles, and this proved vital to Everton as they aimed to hit Arsenal on the counter-attack.
Arsenal are aiming to make it three league wins in a row, after they went two without a win following the Everton defeat, and still remain at the top of the Premier League after a stunning start to the season.
Without Calvert-Lewin upfront, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes should dominate the aerial battles against Maupay, who is a lot smaller than the 25-year-old, and this could help Mikel Arteta’s side claim all three points.